Disney News, Discussion & an Element of Fun - 2025 Edition

[BrianL]

You'll be happy to know baroque heodown survives in Starlight

Spoiler alert man!

Seriously, I didn't know that when I first saw Paint the Night, but I doub't there is anyway I would not know now with how plugged in I am to the Dis-o-sphere. Bloggers report on anything ane everything now.

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

Spoiler alert man!

Oh, sorry! I thought "don't post pictures," but for some reason it didn't cross my mind that that was a spoiler

 

[BrianL]

Oh, sorry! I thought "don't post pictures," but for some reason it didn't cross my mind that that was a spoiler

Well, I could have reasonable guessed that, but I just remember the first time watching PTN and enjoying the nods at the beginning then the Hoedown throughout. It's one of those things that can't be recreated.

 

[cellomom]

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/passes/

Get Up to a $100 Disney Gift Card eGift When You Purchase a New Walt Disney World Annual Pass

For a limited time, get up to a $100 Disney Gift Card eGift when you purchase a new Walt Disney World Annual Pass.
Gift card values vary based on Annual Pass type:

$100 Disney Gift Card eGift – included with a Disney Incredi-Pass
$75 Disney Gift Card eGift – included with a Disney Sorcerer Pass (for Florida residents and eligible Disney Vacation Club Members only*)
$50 Disney Gift Card eGift – included with a Disney Pirate Pass (for Florida residents only)
$25 Disney Gift Card eGift – included with a Disney Pixie Pass (for Florida residents only)


This offer is only valid for new Annual Passes. Offer cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion, including any renewal discounts.

After purchasing a new Annual Pass, the Disney Gift Card eGift will be delivered within a few days to the email address provided at purchase.

 

[Bibbidi_Boo]

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/passes/

Get Up to a $100 Disney Gift Card eGift When You Purchase a New Walt Disney World Annual Pass

For a limited time, get up to a $100 Disney Gift Card eGift when you purchase a new Walt Disney World Annual Pass.
Gift card values vary based on Annual Pass type:

$100 Disney Gift Card eGift – included with a Disney Incredi-Pass
$75 Disney Gift Card eGift – included with a Disney Sorcerer Pass (for Florida residents and eligible Disney Vacation Club Members only*)
$50 Disney Gift Card eGift – included with a Disney Pirate Pass (for Florida residents only)
$25 Disney Gift Card eGift – included with a Disney Pixie Pass (for Florida residents only)


This offer is only valid for new Annual Passes. Offer cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion, including any renewal discounts.

After purchasing a new Annual Pass, the Disney Gift Card eGift will be delivered within a few days to the email address provided at purchase.

Guess I am buying our passes super soon for Feb!

 

[Scalemaster34]

We let our AP expire, as will be taking a few years off from WDW. How long do you have to active your pass?

 

[cellomom]

We let our AP expire, as will be taking a few years off from WDW. How long do you have to active your pass?

one year from date of purchase
(someone correct me if I'm wrong)

 

[fatmanatee]

We now have our answer for "what are they going to do with Launch Bay and Animation Courtyard?". BOTH shutting down in 2026 (along with Disney Jr. Play and Dance) for an experience called "The Magic of Disney Animation".

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

 

[mdmost]

Love this change

 

[cellomom]

We now have our answer for "what are they going to do with Launch Bay and Animation Courtyard?". BOTH shutting down in 2026 (along with Disney Jr. Play and Dance) for an experience called "The Magic of Disney Animation".

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

More info at Disney Parks Blog

Disney Animation-Inspired Experience Coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios

 

[Brian Noble]

For a limited time,

Notably, there is no end date that I can find on the offer, so I will probably not be putting this off.

 

[fatmanatee]

Interesting that both this and the RnRC overhaul is expected to be started and completed in 2026. Still no closing date for RnRC.

 

[kylenne]

Love love love this AC plan, I'm a hashtag Childless Millennial but HS desperately needs more family attractions and things that aren't E-tickets, love that the kiddos will have an indoor playground. This feels really true to the spirit of the park and I love Once Upon a Studio, anything that leans into that I'm excited for.

I hope they move the Disney Visa meet and greets to Galaxy's Edge though. BB-8 is so dang cute, Chewie will already have a traditional one there as we heard the other day. They have already eased off on the Sacred Timeline stuff in Batuu here with putting Mando and Grogu in there and I think having a Vader M&G there would be exactly the shot in the arm that land needs.

 

[mikeuno]

This is a great thread, thanks all

 

[Smugpugmug]

Okay, but no one has mentioned the most important part of this announcement....the sorcerer hat is making a comeback baby! Welcome back, you've been missed.

That's if Disney follows that concept art anyway

 

[kylenne]

Okay, but no one has mentioned the most important part of this announcement....the sorcerer hat is making a comeback baby! Welcome back, you've been missed.

That's if Disney follows that concept art anyway

I missed that whole era because it was during my long absence from the parks but I like that they're paying tribute to the Roy E Disney building in Burbank with this. It really feels old school MGM studios in the best possible way.

 

[crazy4wdw]

We now have our answer for "what are they going to do with Launch Bay and Animation Courtyard?". BOTH shutting down in 2026 (along with Disney Jr. Play and Dance) for an experience called "The Magic of Disney Animation".

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

OK, why couldn't Monster's Inc. Land go into this space and Muppets 3D could have been saved?

 

[BrianL]

Nice to see something going into that very underused space.

 

[bookbabe626]

We now have our answer for "what are they going to do with Launch Bay and Animation Courtyard?". BOTH shutting down in 2026 (along with Disney Jr. Play and Dance) for an experience called "The Magic of Disney Animation".

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

FYI, it's hidden at the end, the closure/refurb starts at the end of September 2025. So maybe there's hope for a quicker reopening. As with RnRC, it's a much less ambitious project than creating a whole new ride from scratch like the Monsters area or the Cars/Villians stuff in MK. If they start in October, we might see the new Animation area open by summer 2026...fingers crossed, anyway.

"As we prepare for this transformation, Animation Courtyard and Disney Jr. Play and Dance! will close beginning September 25, 2025. During this time, guests will still be able to go under the sea with Ariel in “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” and enjoy the exhibits and film presentation at Walt Disney Presents."

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

OK, why couldn't Monster's Inc. Land go into this space and Muppets 3D could have been saved?

We'll never really know, of course.

My guess: they're both expansion spaces but one (West) happens to have executive offices so Monsters Inc land went into the other (South) one. I feel like the Disney Animation retheme of the Launch Bay and the courtyard will help that space keep drawing guests for some years with minimal construction costs until a new phase of development, well after Monsters Inc land has opened, finally opens up this expansion space for something else.